Cold
by mmichaela
Summary: Henry and Elizabeth take a walk in the snow to unwind, unaware that Elizabeth is coming down with the flu...


_A/N: Currently working on mapping out and getting started on my Origins piece for these two which is already turning out to be a beast lol help. In the meantime, however, here's a little sick-fic inspired by a prompt from lilacmermaid25 on tumblr, because I'm always a sucker for some hurt/comfort._

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"Alright," Henry strode into the study, a man on a mission. "You actually got home from work at a reasonable hour today and as far as I can tell, there are no impending international disasters that need your immediate attention. Yet, you've been cooped up in here since dinner." He reached a hand out and closed her laptop.

The glare he received in return might have made a lesser man retreat. Henry, however, had been on the receiving end of it more times than he could count. It usually meant he was doing her a favour anyway, whether she liked it or not, so he persevered. "Am I wrong? Is there something that absolutely, cannot wait until tomorrow?"

She pulled her glasses off and lay them on the desk in front of her before reluctantly shaking her head, a slight grin forming at the corners of her mouth.

"Great, we're gonna go for a nice, relaxing walk."

"In the snow." She raised a brow. "Surrounded by all the guys on my detail."

Henry was undeterred. "Yes."

Elizabeth simply pursed her lips, fixing her stare on him. Henry grinned in return. "Go get changed, I'll let them know."

She sighed in mock defeat, knowing there wasn't any way she was going to talk him out of this. Truth be told, she'd only meant to sit down to check her emails over an hour ago. Habit had kept her there. Seems she had forgotten how to turn off her work brain, it was so rare she got the opportunity to. A headache had also been slowly growing behind her eyes, fresh air would do her good she decided.

She stood from her chair and brushed her lips against Henry's as she passed him to go upstairs, "You're the worst."

He smiled, affectionately patting her bum as she left, "Love you too."

"Yeah, yeah." She waved over her shoulder as she disappeared upstairs.

As they strolled along the quiet street, the snow around them warmly lit by street lights, Elizabeth sighed in content. Her arm was looped through Henry's their fingers interlocked at their side, she pulled him closer so her chin rested on his shoulder, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He turned slightly, brushing his nose against her cheek, "Can I ask what for?"

Elizabeth chuckled, her breath fogging the air in front of her, "For… for being my touchstone, I guess."

"I told you back when you first got this job that I was happy to be the man beside the woman." He squeezed her gloved hand in his. "I meant it."

"I know you did. I just want you to know how much I appreciate it. Like today, I probably would have stayed at that computer all night, knowing full well it would all still be there in the morning. So, thank you."

"My pleasure."

They continued on in comfortable silence. The only sound came from the crunching of the snow under their boots and the occasional car driving slowly by, headlights illuminating the snowflakes that were beginning to fall once more.

"You know what I miss about the farmhouse," Elizabeth's voice drifted in from the sitting room, "big and draughty as it could be-nothing really beats warming up in front of a fireplace." She shivered involuntarily and retreated further into the cocoon she had engulfed herself in on the sofa.

Henry chuckled, approaching her from behind, a mug of steaming tea in each hand. "I won't argue with you there. Too bad the neighbourhood association would almost definitely have us evicted if we tried to install an actual working fireplace."

Elizabeth sighed deeply, taking her mug from him as he rounded the sofa, "Sadly, I think you're right."

"How about," he settled onto the sofa next to her, "I try warm you up instead." With his mug in one hand, he reached around her with the other, pulling her close to him by the shoulder, blanket-cocoon and all. He rubbed vigorously at her arm as she tentatively blew on her tea.

"Mhmm, that sounds nice." She sighed, sinking into his embrace.

By the time they had finished their drinks, Henry was drowsy, almost asleep where he sat, cheek resting on Elizabeth's head which lay comfortably on his shoulder. He jolted awake when she leaned forward to place her mug on the coffee table.

"Still cold, huh?" He commented as she rubbed her palms quickly together.

"Yeah, I just can't seem to warm up tonight." He felt her shrug against him, or more accurately felt the numerous layers of blanket shrug against him.

"How about a hot shower?"

"Yeah… yeah maybe that'll do it."

Henry set his mug down next to hers and stood. Taking her outstretched hand, he pulled her up after him and she followed him out of the room and upstairs, her blanket trailing behind her like a well-worn cape.

It was nearly an hour later by the time Elizabeth emerged from the bathroom, followed by a thick fog of steam, and Henry was almost asleep. She quietly slid in beside him and nestled in to his side. Without opening his eyes, he wrapped an arm around her and murmured into her freshly dried hair, "Love you, babe."

"Love you too."

Henry didn't know what woke him, exactly, as he blinked blearily in the dim light of the room. As far as he could tell it was still dark out, although the snow reflecting the streetlights was deceiving. He raised his hands to rub the sleep from his eyes and belatedly realised one was trapped under Elizabeth's sleeping form.

Elizabeth's sleeping form which was shaking almost uncontrollably against him, his groggy mind slowly realised. He frowned down at the top of her head which was barely visible above the comforter she had pulled right up over her ears at some point in the night. He frowned in confusion and reached out with his free hand, patting the surface of his bedside locker to locate his phone. The screen lit up as he brought it in front of his eyes and he blinked, adjusting to the glare, to read the time displayed. Not quite two am. His frown deepened.

This wasn't cold from their earlier excursion. This was something else. Henry dropped the phone to the bed beside him and found Elizabeth's forehead with his palm. As he suspected, she was burning up, a sheen of perspiration visible across her forehead.

"Elizabeth," he murmured, trying to gently shake her awake, "Babe, wake up."

He pulled the comforter down from her shoulder, exposing her arms to the air. Still sleeping she reacted almost instantly, curling tighter against his side, her hand gathering the fabric at his chest into a tight fist.

"Sorry hon, you've gotta wake up for me." He spoke louder now and moved to sit up, hoping the change of position would shake her from her slumber. It did, although she fought it, scrunching her eyes shut and burrowing her face into his arm.

"S'cooolllld" she lamented weakly, still shivering.

"I know, but you're burning up babe."

"Whaaa-," she opened her eyes and looked up at him in confusion.

"You've got a fever, you must be coming down with something-that's why you've been cold all evening."

"Huh, that's a relief," she deadpanned after a minute, slowly waking up now, "I was afraid old age was really starting to kick in."

Henry couldn't help but laugh, "Think you can sit up?"

"Sure." She pushed herself out of Henry's embrace into an upright position, only for the world to spin dangerously around her and she promptly fall back against him. He grunted softly in surprise as her weight hit him.

"Hey… hey, I've got you," He tilted her chin up towards him with his forefinger to meet her eyes. He examined them for a moment, brows furrowed. He couldn't quite be sure in the dark room and it could just be remnants of her sleeping state, but Henry felt they were duller than usual.

He twisted from under her and lay her head on his pillows.

"I'm just gonna get a cold flannel," He soothed in response to her feeble protests. "I'll just be a sec."

He flicked on the bathroom light as he entered, and Elizabeth recoiled from the glare, groaning. She pulled the comforter back up over her eyes, blocking out the light.

Returning to her side, Henry gently pulled the comforter back to place the flannel on her forehead. Elizabeth flinched and Henry rubbed her arm comfortingly, settling onto the edge of the bed beside her.

"How are you feeling? Are you nauseous or anything?"

She inclined her head in thought, "A little… mostly though everything just sort of aches. Like that feeling when you haven't gone out for a ride in ages and then you spend the whole day out and regret it."

Henry chuckled at the analogy.

"Hmmm," she frowned, "and my headache's gotten worse."

"Worse?"

"Yeah," she shifted slightly, trying to get more comfortable without dislodging the flannel from her forehead, "I felt it coming on earlier this evening but I thought I was just tired, and that maybe the fresh air would help."

Henry groaned in realisation, "Oh babe I'm sorry, I made you go out in the snow and now…"

Elizabeth patted his arm feebly, "Don't be ridiculous. I think it's safe to say I was coming down with it either way."

Henry didn't look quite convinced. "I'm gonna get you some Tylenol, hmm?"

Elizabeth smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkling, "Thank you."

Henry stood and returned to the bathroom to find the pills. While he rooted around in the medicine cabinet Elizabeth tried to push herself into a more upright position. Her stomach lurched in response, threatening to spill its contents across the bed in front of her.

She hastily swung her legs out of the bed and eased herself into a precarious standing position. She managed to push herself off the edge of the bed towards the doorway, her vision blurring and darkening dangerously around the edges. Leaning against the doorframe and realising she wasn't going to make it any further without help she took a shallow breath in and managed to call Henry's name without losing the contents of her stomach there and then.

Henry looked up and seeing her doubled over in the doorway he dropped the packet of Tylenol from his hands and rushed towards her. In an instant he was at her side, propelling her towards the toilet which she collapsed over just in time. Henry dutifully pulled her hair out of harm's way as she clutched the rim and wretched. When her stomach was empty and energy more than spent she collapsed back against him.

"So much for not being that nauseous." Henry quipped, rubbing a hand along her back in sympathy.

"Very funny. Now can you help me up, I need to get this taste out of my mouth."

"Yes, ma'am." He looped his arms under hers and hoisted her upright before guiding her to the sink. Her movements were slow and shaky as she went about rinsing her mouth. Henry hovered behind her warily, fearing one false move could send her tumbling back to the tiled floor.

Finishing up and patting her face dry, she caught his eye in the mirror, "How many of these do you think it will take to knock me out cold and wake up ready for work in the morning?" She held up the Tylenol he had dropped on the counter and smirked at him.

He stepped forward to wrap his arms around her waist, dropping his head to murmur into her ear, "Sooo not gonna happen." He reached up and plucked the container from her hands, deftly extracting two tablets and dropping them into her palm.

Elizabeth sighed in mock exasperation as Henry filled a glass with water. Obediently she tipped the tablets into her mouth before taking the glass from him to chase them down.

"Now, let's get you back to bed." He dropped his hands back down to her hips and gently directed her out of the bathroom, flicking the light off after them.

"Oh no…" Elizabeth paused a few steps from the bedside.

"Babe? Are you ok?"

Elizabeth didn't answer, but turned her head to look at him, nose crinkled, and eyebrows furrowed. She pointedly directed her gaze back to the bed and in the hazy light Henry saw what had stopped her in her tracks.

"Ahhh."

In her earlier haste to make it to the bathroom, she had forgotten about the wet flannel which now lay strewn on Henry's side of the bed, a dark wet patch blossoming out where minutes ago he had been sleeping.

"Sorry. I hope you didn't have intentions of avoiding whatever it is I have." She crossed the space between them and the bed and perched at the edge just below the offending article. "Looks like we're sharing my side."

Henry narrowed his eyes, "I think you deserve the couch for that."

"Uh-uh, it's your side." She plucked the flannel from the sheets and attempted to toss it at Henry, but her aching limbs were not up for the task and it only made it part ways, landing with a soft thump at his feet. Henry bent to pick it up and tossed it expertly back through the doorway. He watched as it landed in the sink as planned and then turned, face triumphant, back to her. "Alright, budge up, make room."

She slid back across the bed with his help and settled back onto the pillows on her side. Henry followed, dropping a pillow onto the wet patch behind him, not wanting to accidentally roll into it in his sleep. He settled down next to her and she adjusted her position to rest against his shoulder. Her hand brushed against his arm and he flinched at the cold.

"Babe, you're freezing."

"I thought I had a fever." She mumbled against him, eyes already drooping in exhaustion.

"Funny. I mean your hands, c'mere." He fumbled for a moment to find both her hands and take them between his own, rubbing vigorously in an attempt to restore some heat.

"Mhmm, that's nice." Her voice was breathy against his neck.

"Mmhmm, try to get some rest, ok?" He felt her nod against him as her breathing slowed. He stilled his movements, but kept her hands against chest, covered by his own, and let himself drift off to sleep with her.


End file.
